Abstract
During the months of July-August 2013, apple orchards of the valley were suddenly struck with Alternaria disease which was so far considered a disease of minor importance as compared to apple scab. The disease spread like wild fire leading to very high severity and often resulted in extensive defoliation and fruit fall in almost all the orchards through the valley, resulting into a widespread epidemic. The various factors which lead to this epidemic were a possible effect of climate change leading to untimely prolonged rains following high temperatures. The situation was worsened due to extensive presence of susceptible delicious cultivars, non adherence of practice of orchard sanitation, use of inappropriate or spurious fungicides and absence of disease forecasting system in the valley. Key words: Alternaria, apple, kashmir, epidemic.
Highlights
Division of Pla ant Pathology, Sher-e-Kash hmir Universitty of Agricultu ural Sciencess and Technology of Kashm mir,Shalimar, Srina agar, Jammu and Kashmir 191 121, Ind dia
In Kashmir valley one of the most favorable situations for the Alternaria disease breakout was a uniform cultivation of susceptible cultivars of “delicious” verities
In valley of Kashmir, the summer of 2013 reported excessive hot temperatures and in the month of July there were heavy and consistent rains which prolonged for long periods coupled consistently with high temperatures. Such conditions favored the disease and within no time due to continuing rain and favorable temperatures for a period of several weeks, the disease spread rapidly. It is unusual for the valley of Kashmir to have such a combination of high temperature and a sudden and prolonged rainfall during this period of year, probably it might be due to the effects of climate change scenario leading to erratic rainfall behavior and rise in temperature which resulted in this minor disease causing major losses in apple in Kashmir
Summary
Sciences and d Technology of Kashmir, IIndia. Division of Pla ant Pathology, Sher-e-Kash hmir Universitty of Agricultu ural Sciencess and Technology of Kashm mir,Shalimar, Srina agar, Jammu and Kashmir 191 121, Ind dia. A modera ate inte ensity was ho owever observ ved at remote e upper reach hes of tthe valley witth comparativ vely much low wer temperatu ure butt at other pla aces the onslaught of disease d was so inte ense that ap pple trees defoliated and at a numberr of placces along witth leaf fall there was a hea avy fruit fall als so, lead ding to a diirect set bac ck to the ap pple productio on. Blig ghting howev ver reduced the productio on indirectly by reducing phottosynthetic area and le ess acccumulation of o photosyn nthetic products into the t devveloping fruits s which negattively affected d the total apple pro oduction of the e entire valley. This article e deals with the t obje ectives of the e description of the diseas se, main caus ses of itts epidemic, and a lessons le earnt in some e detail
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